Texas is home to a remarkable variety of native animals, including a large mammal species currently making a quiet return to its historical habitats. While many people assume bears are no longer present, several populations have been naturally reestablishing themselves in recent decades. This process of recolonization has led to localized, protected populations, confirming that bears are an active part of the modern Texas ecosystem. Understanding their current status requires identifying the specific species present and where their populations are concentrated.
The American Black Bear
The only bear species native to Texas currently established in the state is the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus). These large omnivores typically reach a length of five to six feet and weigh between 90 and over 400 pounds, depending on available food resources. Despite the name, their coat color varies widely, ranging from jet black to shades of cinnamon brown or blond, often with a brownish snout. They possess a varied diet, feeding primarily on plant matter like berries, nuts, and roots, in addition to insects and occasional carrion.
The Texas population includes at least two distinct subspecies: the Mexican Black Bear (U. a. eremicus) and the New Mexico Black Bear (U. a. amblyceps). These subspecies are generally found in the desert scrub and woodland habitats of West Texas’s mountain ranges. Individual bears, particularly transient males, can sometimes be observed outside of these core areas.
Current Population Centers and Recolonization
The American Black Bear population in Texas is highly localized, resulting from natural recolonization from neighboring regions rather than a statewide recovery. The most established and confirmed breeding population resides in the Trans-Pecos region, particularly within Big Bend National Park and surrounding mountain ranges like the Chisos and Guadalupe Mountains. This population is expanding primarily due to bears migrating north from Mexico and east from New Mexico, finding suitable habitat in the isolated mountain terrains. Breeding is confirmed by documentation of mother bears with cubs in counties like Val Verde and Crockett, indicating gradual expansion.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department monitors this natural return, which is crucial because the species is listed as threatened in the state. Recolonization is also occurring in East Texas, often referred to as the Piney Woods region, but these populations are currently non-residential. Bears spotted in East Texas counties like Cherokee, Rusk, and Panola are typically transient individuals migrating from established populations in adjacent states such as Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. These are predominantly males traversing long distances in search of mates, territory, or new food sources.
Dispersal events mean that a black bear can potentially be sighted almost anywhere in the state, though a single bear does not signify a resident population. Occasional sightings of transient bears have been documented in Central and South Texas, including one instance in Zapata County. The state’s policy focuses on conservation, making it illegal to hunt or harm the protected animals. Continued natural recolonization relies on maintaining habitat corridors and minimizing human-bear conflict in these population centers.
Species No Longer Found in Texas
To fully answer which species are found in Texas, it is necessary to address the historical presence of the Grizzly Bear. This animal, a subspecies of the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), once inhabited parts of the state. Its historical range included the mountainous areas of West Texas, likely overlapping with the isolated habitats the black bear currently occupies.
The Grizzly Bear was systematically extirpated from Texas due to hunting and settlement pressures. The last confirmed Grizzly Bear in the state was killed in the Davis Mountains in 1890. There are no remaining Grizzly populations in Texas today, nor are there plans for reintroduction. Therefore, any bear encountered in the Texas wilderness will be the smaller, less aggressive American Black Bear.